Savior of Love
by TuxedoMirage
Summary: Two years after Galaxia's downfall, the Scouts enjoy their junior year of high school.  Then, something strange starts happening to Mina... New enemies, new transformations, new romance [Mina&OC], and a lot of drama! First fanfic, please R&R!
1. The Story Begins

Well, here we go. My first ever attempt at Sailor Moon fanfiction. If you're reading this right now, thanks for taking the time to check this story out. It's my baby, and although I'm not far on it, I've put a lot of effort into it thus far. So _**PLEASE**_, even if you absolutely detest it with every fiber of your being, please read it and leave me a review. That would be excellent.

First, a disclaimer. I don't own Sailor Moon, although sometimes I wish I did. I do own the plot to this story and all of the new characters I create.

Now, a word about the story. This is a Mina/Sailor Venus-centric fic. She's been my favorite of the Sailor Scouts/Senshi since I was little, and I always felt like she never got enough time to shine. Hence, this story. Now, if you hate her, don't hit the "back" arrow just yet. Although this is a Venus fic, it's also going to feature quite a bit of the other Scouts too...don't you worry! Plus, there's a new enemy and (hopefully) new attacks/transformations, not to mention some overdue romance for Mina.

This story takes place two years after the downfall of Galaxia. I'm going by American school years, so the girls are now juniors in high school. I'm going to use the American-ized names, simply because it comes more naturally to me, and, to make it easier on me, Raye goes to the same school as the other girls.

And...I think that's everything. On to the story...

---

_Savior of Love_

_**Chapter One**_

The night sky was dotted with thousands of twinkling stars. All of the planets of the universe went about their regular orbits without interruption. A deep silence filled the galaxy. Since the defeat of Galaxia, a peaceful calm filled space for the fist time in what seemed like forever. It seemed as if all evil had been purged from the universe and had left the universe tranquilly in-tact. If the stars knew of any evil secrets, they kept them to themselves. Finally rid of any diabolical forces, space was still.

---

The morning sun had just slightly peaked over the horizon but the streets of Tokyo were already bustling with activity. It seemed like everyone was in a rush to make it to their early morning destination on time. Friends cheerfully greeted each other from across the street and co-workers smiled at each other and began chatting while sipping coffee on the way to the office. An outsider would be overwhelmed by the crowds, but a resident of Tokyo only saw the bustle as part of the daily routine.

In the midst of the hurried crowds, one person seemed not to be in a hurry. A slender teenage girl slowly walked down the crowded streets while clutching her school satchel to her navy blue and white school uniform and seemed oblivious to the swarming crowds around her. Suddenly, the autumn wind picked up, sending red and orange leaves spinning into the air as well as the young girl's long golden blonde hair into disarray. Her hands flew instantly to her hair and when she reached a crosswalk, she quickly stepped into an alley adjacent to the street she was walking on. The girl reached a group of stairs and dropped her school satchel on one of the steps before carefully removing the red ribbon from her wind-tousled hair. She dug through her satchel, found her hair brush, and began to run the bristles through her straight hair which reached down past her back.

"Mina!"

Her bright blue eyes lit up at the sound of her name and she scanned the street for a familiar face.

A white cat emerged from the crowd and began walking down the alley towards her. She shaded her eyes as she looked towards the cat. As he got closer to her, she could clearly see the mark of a crescent moon on the cat's forehead. Once she recognized him, she averted her eyes from the bright rays of the sun and continued to attempt to remove the knots from her hair.

The white cat cautiously glanced around the deserted alleyway before stepping up the stairs and seating himself on the same step as the girl's satchel.

"Mina, look at me."

She glanced at the stairs. The cat's concerned eyes met hers as he spoke again. "Is everything ok? You left the house early today. I was hoping you'd wait for me."

Mina set her hairbrush down next to her feline friend and nervously twisted the red ribbon in her fingers. She and the cat had been together for years and they shared a bond far stronger than pet and owner. He could easily read her moods and she knew he could tell she wasn't herself.

Sighing, she began to retie the ribbon into her hair and replied, "I'm fine, Artemis. I just needed some fresh air to make sure I'm awake before my history exam this morning." She shook her head, untied the red ribbon, and attempted to fix her hair again.

Artemis, clearly worried about his female owner, licked his paw and began grooming himself as he often did when he was anxious. "I don't believe you. You always have problems with your hair when something's on your mind."

Mina blushed lightly at her cat's accuracy and attempted to fix her ribbon once more. She smiled gently at Artemis and said, "Really, I'm fine. I just want to do well on this exam today. It could really help me boost my grade, and _you_ of all people should understand how important that is."

She could tell he was not entirely convinced but decided to drop the issue. Artemis continued to groom his pure white as she finally managed to perfectly tie her red ribbon into her golden locks. With a triumphant grin she grabbed her school satchel and shouted to Artemis, "Race you to school!" With that, she dashed down the alley and back into the crowds of the streets of Tokyo.

With a sigh, Artemis thought to himself, "Maybe she's fine. I guess I'm just overreacting," before dashing down the alley after his owner.

---

Mina reached the tall iron gates of her high school and stood panting with her hands on her hips. Several minutes later, Artemis reached the gates. At his side was a black cat with the same crescent moon mark on her forehead.

"Took you long enough," Mina joked as Artemis leapt into her arms nimbly.

"Very funny," he purred as Mina stroked his fur gently. Kneeling, she lightly patted the black cat's head.

"Hi Luna. Are you feeling better?" Mina knew the black cat had been sick recently and was concerned because, as strange as it seemed, Luna was almost like a second mother to her.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks Mina," Luna responded gratefully.

Glancing at her watch quickly, Mina asked Luna of her owner's whereabouts. "Hey Luna, where's Serena? School's practically about to start. She's not late _again_, is she?"

"Of course she's late, this is Serena. I don't think that girl has ever been on time," Luna shook her head, causing Mina to giggle at the truth of her statement.

Sure enough, Mina, Luna, and Artemis could see Serena awkwardly sprinting towards the direction of school. Her blonde hair was a total wreck (although it was secured into two long pigtails at the top of her head) and she was wailing loudly, trying to figure out how she could be late yet again. All three collapsed into laughter. This was the epitome of Serena. Although she was a careless, clumsy crybaby, Serena meant the world to Mina because she was basically the definition of a true friend; she put others before herself and cared for her friends with her whole heart.

"Mina! Am I on time? Did I make it?" Serena gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

Mina couldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, you made it. But now we have to get to class on time and we've only got about three minutes to get there!"

"Well, what are you just standing there for? I can't afford to get detention again! I've already had to stay after school twice this week!" Serena grabbed Mina's arm and the two blondes ran inside the gates, leaving their guardian cats in the dust.

Luna glanced over at Artemis. "You're worried about Mina, aren't you?"

Artemis shook his head. "I can clearly tell something's wrong but she won't tell me. I don't understand."

"Maybe she just needs some space to figure out her problems," Luna said thoughtfully. Looking over at Artemis, she could see this wasn't the answer he wanted and that his frustration was building. She looked him directly in the eyes and said warmly, "Don't worry. Everything will work out."

Artemis smiled, "Thanks, Luna."

---

Somehow Serena and Mina managed to make it to their respective classes on time. While Serena headed to her early morning art class, Mina had to tackle her dreaded history exam. Taking her seat, she pulled out her notes and attempted to do some last minute cramming.

Her hurried studying was interrupted by someone sitting down in the desk next to hers. Glancing up from her notes, Mina saw Amy seated intently to her right, her hands gently clasped together on the top of her desk. The sight of her super-smart friend reassured Mina slightly; just having the smartest girl in school (as well as one of her best friends) by her side always seemed to calmer her down. Since history was Mina's worst subject, Amy's presence (and constant help during studying sessions) was a huge help.

Amy smiled warmly at Mina. "You ready for this exam?"

Mina continued to look frazzled as she flipped through her notes. "I don't know. I feel like I can't remember _anything_," she cried in frustration.

Amy leaned over and placed her hand on Mina's shoulder in an attempt to steady her flustered friend. "Don't worry Mina. We've been studying for this exam for a week and you know the material well. I have faith in you."

Mina loved Amy; her blue-haired friend always was a solid support for her whenever she felt like she was going to crumble from the pressures in her life. Her concern touched Mina and she felt so thankful. "Thanks Amy. You always know how to calm me down."

Amy winked at Mina and said, "Hey, it's part of my job as your friend!"

At that moment, the history teacher entered the room and the chatter of the classroom ceased. Mina took deep breaths as she received her copy of the exam and started working. She knew she needed to ace the exam so she could have a chance of raising her sinking grade. All she could do now was hope that her efforts would be good enough.

---

An hour later, the bell rang, signaling the end of first period. Mina and Amy exited the classroom quickly. As they walked down the long, crammed hallways, Amy asked, "So, how did it go for you?"

Mina sounded excited. "You know, I think it went really well! That's the first exam I've felt good about all semester!"

"I'm so glad to hear that! You studied really hard for it and you deserve a good grade," Amy responded. Mina may not have been the best student but she worked hard when she wasn't distracted with her friends or going to parties.

"Amy! Mina! Wait up!" The girls looked behind them to see Lita and Raye waving at them.

"Hey guys!" Mina greeted them.

"How was math? I heard we learn something new today," Amy asked excitedly.

"Math was incredibly boring, as usual. I practically fell asleep," Lita declared, her messy brown ponytail swishing behind her.

"Seriously Amy, I don't understand how you can like it so much," Raye shook her head.

"How can you _not_ like math?" Amy asked, shocked. "It's so orderly and it always makes sense."

"Of course it makes sense to _you_," Raye said, twirling a strand of her raven-black hair around her finger.

"Raye's right. You've got the top marks in our class. Those of us who are not lucky enough to be super smart can't make any sense of it." Lita usually mediated arguments, but whenever she was in the middle of one, her brown eyes lit up with ambition.

As Amy, Raye, and Lita kept playfully discussing math, Mina fell silent. A mix of sadness and jealousy filled her heart suddenly. She walked with her friends until she felt like she was about to cry and then she couldn't take it anymore.

"Guys, I'm going to go this way today. I'll see you at lunch." Without waiting for a response, Mina turned sharply and walked down the nearest hallway.

"What is she doing? Her next class is nowhere near there. Mina, come back!" Lita shouted.

"Something's not right with Mina," Amy remarked as the three girls watched their friend walk away without turning back.

Raye's dark amethyst eyes softened with concern. "What makes you say that, Amy? Did something go wrong in first period?"

Amy shook her head. "We had an exam, but she seemed totally fine afterwards. She's just so…quiet. Mina's never quiet."

Lita looked confused. "Amy's right. Mina's always so bubbly and full of life. I wonder what could be bothering her."

"Maybe she'll cheer up by lunch," Raye suggested.

The other girls nodded uncertainly in agreement, but all were thinking the same thing. _What could be wrong with Mina?_

---

By the time the lunch bell rang, Mina was worn out. For some reason, school was really wearing her out today and she had no idea why. Entering the cafeteria, she yawned as she scanned the room for her friends. She searched through her satchel for her lunch as she made her way to the table where she and her friends usually sat.

Her fellow Sailor Scouts were all seated and were deep in conversation when Mina reached the table. "Hey guys!" She said, trying to sound as enthusiastic and energized as possible.

"Hi Mina," Serena answered with her mouth full. This caused Mina to laugh as she sat down and pulled out her sandwich.

"Mina," Raye said. "You know, your smile always brightens my day, no matter what kind of mood I'm in."

"Really?" Mina was taken aback. No one ever complimented her personal appearance.

"You really do have a dazzling smile," Amy agreed.

"Just like a movie star." Lita attempted to look like a seductive movie star, which caused Mina to erupt into another fit of laughter.

Recovering from her laughing fit, Mina said, "Thank you for your compliments. I only wish I can be as kind and beautiful as you all are."

"But Mina, you _are_ kind and beautiful," said Serena in disbelief.

Feeling self conscious, Mina struggled to change the subject. "Uh...can I ask you a random question? Do you all know what you want to do once you graduate from high school?"

"Of course!" said Serena. "I'm going to marry Darien and I'll probably go to college and study fashion."

"You want to be a designer?" Mina asked. Of all people, she least expected Serena to have a career in mind.

"Yep. I love shopping and trying on clothes. Imagine wearing glamorous clothes all the time," Serena said dreamily.

"I'll probably study abroad in Germany and finally become a pediatrician," Amy said ambitiously.

"I'm going to move to Paris and become a world famous chef," Lita speculated, her eyes glowing at the thought.

"I know I'm going to be a singer-songwriter and a model-actress," Ray boasted.

"Wow. Sounds like you all really know what you want, huh?" Mina remarked, her eyes resting on the edge of the table.

"What do you want to be?" Serena asked.

"Serena, are you stupid? We all know what Mina's going to be," said Raye.

"You're going to be a teen idol, right?" Amy asked.

"Of course! Mina's going to travel all around the country and sing and dance for cheering crowds every night, just like she's always planned," Lita exclaimed.

Mina felt her body tighten. "Actually, I don't know what I want anymore."

Her friends stared in amazement as Mina's beautiful blue eyes began to fill with tears.

"Mina," Lita said gently. "What's wrong?"

"Did we say something to upset you?" Amy asked, concerned.

"Did something happen?" Raye questioned.

Tears were spilling down Mina's fair cheeks. Standing up from the table, she swayed slightly as she said shakily, "I'm fine, really."

Serena stood up too. "No, you're not. What's wrong?"

Grabbing her satchel, Mina's voice cracked as she sobbed, "I need to go to the library. I'll see you guys later." With that, she turned and left the cafeteria.

Serena sat down, stunned. "Okay, you guys are right. There is definitely something wrong with her. Poor thing."

Lita thought hard. "Has anything happened lately that would have set her off like that?"

"No. Life has been so peaceful. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened at all," Amy remarked.

Raye was silent a moment before saying, "Maybe Artemis might have an idea of what's bothering her. He could have a different perspective. I say we meet at the temple tomorrow after school and talk this over with Artemis and Luna."

"But we have to invite Mina. We can't have a Scout meeting without her!" Serena said forcefully.

"We can just tell her to come later. She doesn't have to know we're talking about her beforehand," Amy suggested.

The girls agreed just as the bell rang and they went their separate ways to their afternoon classes.

---

At last, the final afternoon bell rang. Mina left her music theory class feeling drained and exhausted. She tried not to let it bother her and instead focused on all of the homework she had for the night ahead.

Suddenly, she heard her name. A tall, slender boy with messy light brown hair hurried after her holding a stack of sheet music. She recognized him as the new student who had just moved to her school a couple of days ago.

"You might need this," he said as he handed the music to her.

"Thanks…" Mina's voice trailed off.

"Sam," he responded. His hazel eyes locked with her own and they stood staring at each other until he turned away to go to his locker.

Mina stood still for a moment, her skin prickling with goosebumps. _He had the most breathtaking eyes she had ever seen._

With a sigh, she came to her locker and began to rummage through her satchel. Her hand grasped around something unfamiliar. Pulling it out of her satchel, she saw it was her transformation pen. She ran her hand over the newly discovered treasure, her eyes resting on the crystal ball with the orange symbol of Venus inside. She quickly fought the urge to shout out _VENUS CRYSTAL POWER_ and held the pen close to her. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

This was why she was so unhappy. She missed being a Sailor Scout.

Galaxia had long been defeated and at first, peace was a welcome change in Mina's life. Her freshman and sophomore years in high school had been successful; her grades had improved plus she still had time for fun with her friends. However, now in her junior year, Mina felt restless.

Peace made her feel inadequate.

Since she couldn't focus her energy on an evil enemy, Mina had begun to notice how much better her friends were then she was. All of them were kinder, smarter, more generous, more driven and more fun to be around, not to mention better looking. In everyday life, she felt like she was overlooked and ignored. However, when she was Sailor Venus, fighting alongside her friends, she felt invincible. She yearned for that feeling again.

Mina's reverie was interrupted by a wake of drowsiness. Her knees buckled and she almost fell forward. Rubbing her eyes, she grabbed the books she needed and hastily shoed them in her school satchel. She carefully placed her transformation pen on top of her books and drowsily started to stagger home.

---

An unidentified planet had been detected by scientists at the start of the school year. However, all of the scientists ignored its presence at the edge of the solar system, dismissing it as nothing to be concerned about. Slowly but surely, the planet rapidly approached Earth.

The stillness and silence of space had been broken.

---

So. That concludes Chapter 1. Please read and review! I've already gotten Chapter 2 written and am working on Chapter 3. If people actually like this story, I'll upload Chapter 2 in the near future.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Dark Desires and Distant Dreams

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Sailor Moon. :(

Onward to Chapter 2! Thanks for reviewing. :)

---

_Savior of Love_

_**Chapter Two**_

The Queen stood at one of the many tall windows of her castle. Her planet drew closer and closer to Earth. She could feel the energy of her dark forces growing stronger by the second. Slowly, an evil, satisfied smile crept across her disfigured face.

She had been beautiful once, or so the ancient legend said. Her name had been Elliana and she lived peacefully on Earth in the time of the Silver Millennium. She was the daughter of one of the noble families sent to guard the planet by Queen Serenity, ruler of the Moon Kingdom. Elliana was placed into an arranged marriage with a man she met only days before her wedding, as most noble daughters were. His name was Bartholomew and the moment they met, they fell hopelessly in love. After their wedding, they spent many loving years together and their happiness seemed unbreakable.

At one point in their marriage, her husband was called to report back to the Moon Kingdom and spent several weeks away from Elliana. Rumors began to surface that he had become infatuated with Princess Serena, Queen Serenity's beautiful daughter, despite their difference in age and the fact that she loved Prince Endymion, the protector of Earth. Although she tried not to let the rumors affect her, Elliana was secretly devastated. She couldn't believe the man she loved with her whole heart and soul could be so taken by another. When Bartholomew returned to from the Moon Kingdom, Elliana confronted him about the rumors. He confirmed her worst suspicions; he loved Princess Serena. They mutually decided to end their marriage then and there and Bartholomew packed his things that evening.

Left alone in her vacant house, Elliana wept with a broken heart for the loss of her one true love. She wept until no more tears would come. Then her sorrow turned to rage. How _dare_ he leave her for some foolish young girl. She was all he needed to be happy and he had just thrown it all away. Her angry rage built and it soon consumed her. Bartholomew would pay for what he had done to her.

Soon after the end of her marriage, Elliana joined the forces of Queen Beryl's Negaverse and the plot to destroy the Moon Kingdom. In Elliana's mind, as long as she couldn't love, then no one else in the universe deserved to love. Queen Beryl was given the credit for the downfall of the illustrious Moon Kingdom, but Elliana's manipulation of her former friends as well as undercover work in the Moon Kingdom truly led to the downfall of her former home.

As Queen Beryl celebrated the downfall of her enemy with her evil generals, she realized Elliana could be a threat to her reign as queen. Thus, Beryl ordered half of her evil generals to confine Elliana to a distant planet and to stay with her to ensure that she couldn't get in the way. So, Elliana was sent into space, accompanied by half of Beryl's generals and the few survivors of the Moon Kingdom. She built up her planet and it was soon full of activity. Years went by and Elliana waited for Queen Beryl to summon her back.

It is unsure how Elliana discovered Beryl's plans. Perhaps one of the generals slipped somehow. Regardless, she became enraged. However, she was not angry at Beryl (whom she believed had good intentions for leaving her in the middle of space) but rather her rage towards Bartholomew heightened and it soon consumed her even more than before. She craved power more than anything, for with power she could easily make young lovers suffer the way she had.

Since she was extremely superstitious, Elliana visited a nearby seer, originally a member of the Moon Kingdom who she had carefully brainwashed. The seer, an ancient woman named Morgana, said her desires for power could be satisfied by a visit to the apothecary. A wicked former accomplice of Beryl's gave her a potion that he claimed could give her all the power she wanted. When Elliana drank the potion, she became changed. Her black hair, once full of girlish curls, became bone straight and her green eyes, which had once sparkled for the man she loved, turned grey and cold. The gentle noblemen's daughter had become evil, both inside and out. She felt that with her new transformation she needed a new name. When she worked to destroy the Moon Kingdom, she sent reports back to Beryl signed as The Princess of Darkness. She had always been fond of the name. Realizing her power over the cold planet she inhabited, Elliana dubbed herself the Queen of Darkness and began the long journey towards Earth so she could rid the universe of the love and happiness that stemmed from her former planet.

The Queen licked her lips as she thought of the prospect. All she wanted was to see the Earth as cold and dark as she was, and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. She glanced at her staff, which she clutched tightly to her side. At the tip of the long black staff sat a glass orb filled with dark energy. In order to deprive the Earth of its love, the Queen developed a plan. Since her generals had the ability to teleport through space quickly (one of the perks of working for Queen Beryl), she sent them to Earth to steal the people's energy. The people chosen by the generals were far from ordinary; they were filled with love and happiness and gave off an aura of goodness. These were the people the Queen despised the most and she wanted to eliminate them first by slowly draining their energy and then drawing them into the world of her evil planet.

The Queen's thoughts were interrupted as someone entered her royal chamber. He was tall for his age and his hair almost fell into his brilliant hazel eyes.

"Your Majesty." The boy fell to his knees at the sight of his queen.

The Queen looked bored with his refined greeting. "What news do you have for me, Machiite?"

The boy bowed his head. "Well, your Majesty, Murinite, Violite, and Dominite have all found more than sufficient energy sources and are having good luck."

The Queen glanced at the glowing black energy in her staff. "I can see that, Machiite. I am interested in your progress, not the progress of your fellow generals."

Machiite looked crushed at the Queen's displeasure and attempted to redeem himself. "Your Majesty, I have found a target."

"Who is it?"

"A high school girl. Very beautiful. Seems full of pureness." He shook is head in wonder. "I've never seen anyone like her before."

The Queen clenched her teeth together as she spat, "Have you begun to take her energy?"

Machiite smiled viciously. "The last I saw of her, she could hardly stand."

"Good. Very good."

The Queen was silent and Machiite turned to leave. As he reached the doorway, the Queen spoke again. "Machiite?"

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"You are aware that finding targets is not your true duty to me. This girl…she is only meant to be an example for your brother." The Queen's eyes burned with ambition as she asked, "How is Samurite progressing?"

Machiite responded hesitantly, "He is still new to this. He lets his naïve emotions and foolish notions of good get to his head, but he will be ready soon enough."

The Queen nodded. Samurite needed to be ready; he was the key to their success.

"Make him ready, Machiite. He needs to be prepared. But don't forget your mission." Her voice boomed as it echoed throughout the whole room. "Bring me the Savior of Love."

Machiite bowed. "If it is the last thing I do, my queen."

After he left, the Queen returned to the window and saw how close her planet was to Earth. _I will find you, Savior of Love_, she thought. _And when we finally meet, the whole universe will see the power of the Queen of Darkness._

_---_

_There was a grand ball filled with music, dancing, and elegantly dressed people. As she twirled around the floor with her friends nearby, she couldn't help but smile as she took in everything around her. After dancing and flirting with various men around the dance floor, she felt like she needed to get some air. _

_She walked to one of the sturdy marble pillars that surrounded the outside of the palace and leaned against as she rearranged her pale orange dress and the delicate gold crown on her head. If anyone saw her, they would scold her for not standing up straight and acting refined but it didn't seem to matter. Nothing could spoil her good mood. As she stared into the sky, she caught sight of the Earth, looming beautifully before her. Although she had seen it many times before, it still took her breath away and she sighed dreamily as she watched the planet light up the dark night sky._

_From the shadows she could sense someone was coming towards her. She turned and saw a handsome young man heading towards her. She couldn't make out his features but the sight of him made her heart beat a little faster. Biting her lower lip, she turned away from him and gazed towards the sky as she acknowledged him. "You shouldn't be here. If anyone sees us together, we'll be punished for sure."_

_The young man reached her side. He met her eyes before responding with a devilish grin, "I never have abided by the rules very much, have I? Besides, I wasn't thinking of my potential punishment as I snuck over to see you." _

_She avoided his gaze as he joked, "You people of the Moon really know how to throw a party…I must say I'm impressed."_

"_This is no time for joking. We could be killed if any catches us like this! Our lives could be destroyed." She tried to control her voice but it trembled as she spoke._

_He understood now that she was not playfully pushing him away but that she was genuinely upset. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her body towards his. He drew her close to him and she could feel almost electrical chills travel up and down her spine. As he tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear, she heard him say, "Don't you see? My life would be destroyed anyway. My life is not complete without you in it. I don't care what anyone else thinks…I only want to be yours. Forever."_

_Taking his hands into her own, she forgot her fear and boldly whispered, "I love you."_

"_I love you, too," he whispered back._

_He leaned in to kiss her. Her heart raced. She had never felt so deliriously happy before. All she wanted was to stay in his embrace until the end of time._

_Just before his lips touched her own, darkness submerged her completely. Her body felt like it was heavily weighted, her mind felt numb, and her thoughts became fuzzy. She fought with all of her strength to come out of the darkness and back to her love, but it seemed that her efforts were useless. Eventually, she just stopped fighting and felt the last of her strength disintegrate from her body, which lay limp. _

_Suddenly, out of the darkness she saw a white light. To her shock, she saw it was emanating from her own body. The light pushed her to the surface of the darkness. She was almost free…if she could only hold on for a few more seconds…_

Mina woke with a start, her heart pounding fiercely and sweat dripping from her forehead. She attempted to sit up in her bed but as she began to pull herself up, her strength evaporated and she collapsed. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling as she tried to process what she had just experienced.

She had been in love before. Everyone expected that she had; she _was_ the Sailor Scout of Love, after all. It years ago, when she lived in England, and whenever she thought about it, her heart felt as if it would tear in half. She had loved him and he had loved her…but not in the way she loved him. Mina closed her eyes as the memories flooded back to her. She had been so young and it had crushed her spirits so badly that she vowed never to think of love ever again. Since that time, she had grown up and had experienced the rush of many unrequited crushes and silly teenage desires, but none had compared to the way she had felt about _him_. The only thing that compared was the way she felt about the young man in her dream. Who was he? Would she ever meet him? Was he even real? And what of the darkness and the white light? What could that mean?

Her racing thoughts were brought to a halt by a sudden wave of dizziness. The room swirled before her eyes and Mina clenched her blanket tightly as she struggled to remain conscious. It felt like all of her energy was slowly being sucked out of her body. Mustering up her strength, she tried to form words with her dry lips. Her voice sounded frail and shaky as she called for the only friend who could hear her.

"Artemis...Artemis, wake up."

He had been asleep on the edge of her bed but awoke with a start at the sound of his owner's distress. When he saw Mina writing in agony, he attempted to stay calm but the desperate worry was evident in his voice. "Mina, what is it?"

"Artemis….get the Scouts. Tell them…I need them. I feel…so weak."

"Sh," he quieted her. "I'll get them." Artemis gently rubbed his head against Mina's neck before bounding out the door.

She couldn't hold on any longer. _Someone help me_, Mina desperately thought in vain. Then everything went black.

---

The school day ended just as it did every other day. After gathering his books, the boy walked to the front of the school building and sat on the curb, waiting. A black convertible whizzed up and stopped right in front of him. The boy put his books in the backseat and sat in the front next to his older brother. The two boys looked almost identical (despite their difference in age and hair color) and both had hazel eyes that sent most teenage girls into a tizzy.

The older, black-haired boy turned to the younger one. "Did you see the blonde girl today, Sam?"

The younger boy kept his focus on the road and tried to act normal as he answered, "Matsu, she wasn't at school today. She's probably sick or something. I got all of her assignments for her…you think we can drop by her house so I can give them to her? I know she'd hate to get behind."

Matsu scoffed at his brother's sensitivity. "Fine. I know the way."

Sam shot a shocked look at his brother. "How do you know that?"

"Are you stupid? I had to follow her around to see if she was a worthy target for our queen. You should be learning from this. Once you see a person whose energy could be useful, you have to watch them constantly to see if they have a truly pure heart and good intentions. Plus, it makes the draining process much easier if you know where the target lives."

Sam shook his head. "You know, I think this whole thing is wrong. Mina doesn't deserve this. She's really a wonderful girl."

"Don't tell me you actually feel sorry for the target, Samurite." Matsu saw his brother shudder at the sound of his real name. "She is good for one thing only: energy. If the Queen finds out you're feeling sorry for this girl, she'll kill you. I would watch your silly little feelings if I were you."

Sam fell silent. Matsu gripped the steering wheel. Why couldn't his brother understand the joy of his duty? The draining of energy was Matsu's favorite method of infliction because it caused great pain. If he could turn his brother to see things his way, the Queen would keep him high in her favor.

Matsu turned sharply to the right. This was the street. With my help, Samurite will rise to his destiny and I'll reap the benefits, he though greedily to himself.

---

Mina stirred as she heard voices. Her eyelids felt heavy as she forced them to open. As her vision focused, she saw she was surrounded by her friends and fellow Sailor Scouts who were working on their homework.

"Guys, she's awake!" Lita dropped her books and rushed to her friend's side. The other girls followed suit. "How are you feeling? We've all been so worried!"

"Wh…what happened?" Mina stammered, weakness evident in her voice.

"You fainted. You've been out cold most of today," Raye answered, rearranging Mina's blankets as she spoke.

"We came as soon as we could. Of course, we couldn't ditch school but as soon as we were let out, we got over here as soon as we could. I couldn't focus all day. I've never seen Artemis so panicked," remarked Serena, clearly concerned. She hopefully turned to Amy, who was flipping through a huge stack of her medical textbooks. "Hey Amy, do you know what's wrong with Mina?"

Amy looked puzzled, which alarmed the other girls. "Based on what Artemis told me about her symptoms, it seems like her illness would be easy to track. But I've consulted almost all of these books and there's nothing that explains her sudden fits of weakness and dizziness." The blue-haired girl shut the book and sat back, clearly frustrated. "I've got nothing."

"Could this be a new enemy? This wouldn't be the first time dark forces have messed with someone's health," Lita pondered aloud, her forehead wrinkled in thought.

"No way! How could it be a new enemy? Why would they only attack one person?" Serena asked.

"Serena has a point. All of our previous enemies have attacked on a very large scale and affected large numbers of people at a time. Why would they only unleash dark powers upon one person?" Amy mused as she took out her Mercury computer and began typing quickly.

Raye hesitantly said, "I've been having some uneasy premonitions lately. It feels like peace is coming to an end and something terrible is about to happen. The world is falling silent and soon it could be on the brink of destruction."

An uneasy silence broke out as the girls all shivered at the thought. Mina felt a little stronger and raised herself up to a sitting position. She collected her scattered thoughts and quietly said, "I had a really weird dream before I passed out."

The girl' eyes widened. "What happened?" Amy asked, pausing from her calculations.

"I think I was remembering something that happened in the Moon Kingdom…"

Mina was interrupted by her mom, who had just gotten home from work, knocking on her bedroom door. "Mina, there's someone here to see you. A boy."

Serena, Amy, Lita, and Raye gasped as Mina's fair cheeks turned the color of a ripe tomato and she frantically tried to smooth down her hair. "Mina, when were you going to tell us you had a boy visiting you?" Raye asked.

"I didn't know." The girls looked unconvinced. "I mean it! I told you, I'm staying away from falling for guys."

"Okay, we'll just leave you alone. We'll just wait downstairs," said Lita, giggling. The girls collected their books and headed for the door, where they ran into a tall boy with light brown hair and hazel eyes, his arms full of books. Even Serena couldn't help but blush at the sight of such a cute boy.

Mina felt her heart skip a beat. "Hey Sam, what are you doing here?"

He gently placed the stack of books and papers on her desk. "Well, you weren't at school today and I figured you wouldn't want to get behind. So I brought you all of your assignments."

Mina groaned as she lay back against her pillow. "Fantastic. More homework. Just what I need right now."

Sam laughed, which took her aback; the only guy that ever laughed at her was Darien. "It was really nice of you to think of me," she said shyly. "Most people would have just let me go back to school and get totally slammed with all of the assignments."

He walked over to her and kneeled at her bedside. "It's nothing. You're one of the only people who actually take the time to be kind to me since I've gotten here. The least I can do is repay someone who is so kind…and wonderful." He looked away from her and his face turned a faint pink color, which caused her to turn red again.

The awkward moment was broken by a long wailing car horn. Sam quickly stood up. "My brother. He's so impatient. I have to go." He headed towards the door. Before walking out, he added sweetly, "Good luck with all that homework. And feel better, ok?"

"Ok," Mina breathed as she watched him leave. She sat in her bed, filled with girlish joy, trying to recall every detail of what had just happened. _Wow, he's something_, she thought to herself. _No guy's ever been so nice and thought of me enough to try to bring me my assignments. Or called me wonderful_. Her bliss was broken by another fit of weakness and she grabbed the bedpost as she tried to steady herself. Her efforts were in vain, and she once again was plunged into darkness.

---

Sam slammed the car door as he got in and sat next to Matsu, mumbling to himself. Matsu could only hear his brother say "choked" and "such a fool" and "hopeless." Sam's flustered condition was the least of his worries. He reached into his pocket and subtly glanced at the black crystal he held in his palm. The tiny crystal began to glow, signaling that energy was being drained from an innocent person and into the crystal. With an evil grin, Matsu slipped the crystal back into his pocket, put the car into drive, and sped away.

---

So. There you have it. Chapter Three will probably not be up for a **_long_** while unless I get a huge response...because life is kind of crazy for me right now.

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**_


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